Method of manufacturing tea cartridges



Feb. 3. 1925.

T. ALLATT METHOD OF MANUFACTURING TEA CARTRIDGES Filed April 22. 1924 INVENTUR f MW Patented Feb. 3, l 25. J

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THOMAS ALLATT, OF WES'IFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T MILLIE PATENT HOLD- ING CO. INC., 01: NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING TEA CARTRIDGES.

Application filed April 22, 1924. Serial No. 708,231.

T 0 all 1137mm it may concern: I

Be it known that l, THOMAS ALLATT, a citizen of Great Britain, and resident \of lVestfield, in the county of Union and Stale of New Jersey, have invented certain new 'tainer of open-mesh textile fabric, into which is inserted a definite quantity of tea leaves or coffee sufficient for a single brewing. After the filling operation, the bag is closed by suitable means. To the bag is usually fixed a string, to the free end of the latter being attached a handle, for instance of cardboard. This string serves as the means for suspending the cartridge from the receptacle, in which the extraction is to take place. in order to produce cartridges of this type, obviously quite a number of separate and distinct operations and devices are necessary, towit: First, a bag must be formed, second, the mouth of the bag must be closed or puckered, after the bag has been previously filled with tea or coffee, third, a string of predetermined size must be cut and attached to the bag, and, fourth, a cardboard handle or tag must be secured to the free end of the string, either before or after the said string is attached to the bag.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a method. of forming tea cartridges, in which all of the steps above referred to are performed on a sewing machine without interruption and, in addition thereto, the string is also produced by the sewing machine, thereby greatly simplifying the production of the cartridge and re ducing its cost of manufacture.

Generally speaking, the im roved method consists in folding a strip 0 textile fabric to form two plies contacting all around their free edges, after having interposed between the said plies a quantity of the material the essence of which is to be extracted, uniting the free edges of the said twoplies by a line of stitches extending close to and in parallel relation to the said edges, continuing, the thread of said stitches beyond the fabric to form a chain, which serves as the suspending means for the cartridge, and continuing the line of stitches beyond said chain and passing the same through a tag.

The several steps of the method are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a tea cartridge, produced by the method forming the subject matter of the present application for Let- ,ters Patent; Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a piece of fabric of which the cartridge is to be formed, the material the essence of which is to be'extracted being shown in position thereon; Fig. 4: is a plan view of the said fabric piece folded on its center line; and Fig. is a plan view similar to the one shown in Fig at, a portion of the contacting edges of the fabric piecebeing shown united by a line of stitches.

Tn producing a cartridge, first a piece 10 of open-mesh textile fabric, preferably of oblong configuration is cut from a strip (Fig. 3).. This fabric-piece is folded at its transverse center line 11 after a quantity of tea leaves or coffee 12, sufficient for a single brewing, has been placed on the fabric piece on one side of the said transverse center line. When folded (Fig. 4), the tea leaves or coffee are disposed between the two plies l3 and 14 o-fthe fabric piece. The respective free edges of the said two plies, which are thus in abutment, are united ,on a sewing machine by a line 15 of stitches (Fig. 5). In this manner a closed receptacle is provided, containing the material the essence of which is to be extracted. In producing the line of stitches, a sewing machine is used, whereby the thread of the stitches is carried over the edge of the two plies of the fabric, either by the needle or by some mechanism other than a needle. In this manner, the

loose ends of the threads of the fabric are brought up against the edge of the fabric and held concealed by the thread of the stitches, or some special trimming means may be used for removing the said loose ends or thrums. A nicely finished ca'rtrid e is thus obtained. After the cartridge as been stitched in the manner described, the line of. stitches is continued beyond the fabric, whereby 'a chain 16 is formed. This chain may be of any suitable length, the stitches being then continued on a tag 17 as shown too at 18, whereby the said tag is attached to the chain.

The cartridge may be of any suitable configuration, the fabric of which it is made as appears from above, as the means of SU.S"

' pending the cartridge from the receptacle,

such as a tea pot or a coffee pot, and also as the means whereby the cartridge may be handled.

From the foregoing it appears that all of the steps of making the cartridge, with the exception of the charging operation, are performed by a sewing machine in a continuous process, that is to say, withoutinterruption, the chain forming an integral part of the means which unites the plies of the fabric and serving at the same time to attach to the cartridge the handle'or tag.

What I claim is 1. The method of producing a tea or cofiee cartridge, which consists in, first, placing on a piece of open-mesh textile fabric the material the essence of which is to be extracted, second, folding the said piece to obtain two plies contacting all around their free edges with the said material interposed, third, extending close to and in parallel relation to mentor the said stitches beyond the fabric to form a chain to serve as a suspending means for the cartridge.

2. The method of producing a teaor coffee cartridge, which consists in, first, placing on a piece of open-mesh textile fabric the material the essence of which is to be extracted, second, folding the said piece to obtain two plies contacting all around their free edges with the said material interposed, third, extending close to and .in parallel relation to said free edges a line of stitches for uniting said two plies, fourth, continuing the said stitches bcyondthe fabric to form a chain to serve as a suspending means for the cartridge, and, fifth, continuing said flitches beyond said chain and passing the same through a tag forming the handle of the cartridge. I

3. The method of producing a tea or coffee cartridge, which consists in, first, placing on a piece of open-mesh textile fabric the material the essence of which is to be extracted, second, folding the said piece to obtain two plies contacting all around their free edges with the said material interposed, third, extending close to and in parallel relation to said free edges a line of stitches for uniting said two plies, the thread of said stitches being carried over the edge of the fabric, and, fourth, continuing. the said stitches beyond the fabric to form a chain to serve as a suspending means for the cartridge. a

Signed at Westfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, this 18th day of Apri1,,A.. D. 1924. I THOMAS ALLATT. 

